Every animation you watch, from a full-screen feature to a two-minute clip on Youtube, takes a lot of work to make. The animation itself can be divided into two rough areas: the art and the programming. In both cases, standing out with an outstanding demo reel or portfolio is the best way to get a job in animation.

If the art of animation interests you, then some possible careers include a 2D or 3D animator, a digital cel animator, a character designer, or a mixed media animator, depending on where your animation interests lie. If the programming interests you more, jobs in software development and production–writing the scripts that make the animations animate–would be more up your alley. No matter which side of animation interests you more, knowing a little about the other part of animation will only help you.

While entering a career in entertainment is a popular option, it’s not the only one. Game companies, movie studios, and cartoon channels employ a lot of animators, but simulations and virtual reality are becoming more common, and animations are often used for training as well.